Spiced Coconut Tofu (or prawns if you swing that way)

We are back in Stockholm and need to adjust our recipes, and eating habits to accommodate the type of available produce.

I am doing a series of tofu dishes trying to sort out how to best use the tofu that I can get in Stockholm.  We have decided that the tofu here does not soak up the sauces in the usual way, making the dishes a bit bland.

Cutting the tofu much smaller seems to help.

 As I have written before the produce is very different from Tasmanian produce, and worlds away from our garden produce.

This spiced coconut curry sauce masks the inferior produce, and goes well with many vegetables, bok-choi, cauliflower, carrot, broccoli, or whichever vegetables you have on hand.  This is also a good recipe if you have vegetables in the pantry/crisper not quite good enough for a fresh salad.

I used a small wok to cook the prawns which my vegetarian wife does not eat.

They are easily tossed in cooked, after I serve up her portion.

After your rice is cooked (I couldn't live without my rice cooker, the rice is done by the time my prep is finished) About 20 minutes total.

Here is the original recipe for 4 people.

Due to familiarity I do not actually measure - but I use the recipe as a guide towards portions/ratios 

1.25kg uncooked prawns (of your choice, here I used frozen, shelled, deveined- ready to cook)

200g Broccoli cut into florets

250g Cauliflower cut into florets

1 small brown onion (about 100g) sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

2 fresh long red chillies, sliced thinly

1 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. mustard seeds

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

140ml can coconut milk

Tofu (of your choice, cut to preferred size)

Prep - Cut your vegetables and put aside

Roast the mustard seeds until fragrant

grind the cooked mustard seeds, then add in all other dry spices, in a bowl big enough to then add in your coconut milk and vegetables (except onion and garlic) and toss all vegetables to coat with your spices/coconut milk

Start your wok, quickly stir-fry your tofu and prawns

Add in your garlic and onion- quickly stir-fry

Add in your vegetables and sauce

Stir-fry until vegetables are tender- and your sauce has rendered down a bit

Serve over rice

Yaki-udon (Chicken optional)

The only thing that takes a lot time with this recipe is soaking the shiitake mushrooms if you are using dried ones- we used fresh because we luckily can buy them that way.

We use dried Udon noodles, which are cooked for about 7 minutes (like cooking pasta) but you need to then immerse them in cold water until you need to add them into your stir-fry

As usual our recipe is for 2 people (well Zok's two people which honestly I think is more like three)

5 or so shiitake mushrooms - thinly sliced caps only (discard the stems)

half of a mushroom stock cube

(if you use dried mushrooms you'd soak your dried shiitake in boiling water and keep about 1/8 of cup of the liquid to add into the stir fry instead of using the cube)

1 clove of garlic crushed

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 tbl. rice vinegar 

1 tbl. sugar

1/4 cup of soy sauce (Japanese - which is lighter than some)

1 tsp. lemon juice (fresh if you can)

250 g. / .5 lb of udon noodles (fresh if you have them)

250 g. firm tofu (we fried ours as small squares and then cut them into half)

250 g. / .5 lb of chicken thigh fillets thinly sliced* (optional)

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 small red capsicum (bell pepper) thinly sliced

spring onion thinly sliced (about 2)

1 tsp. peanut or sesame oil

(this is a good dish to add in kale, cabbage, or any Asian greens although Zok doesn't always agree to that)

First combine your crushed garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and mushroom stock into a large measuring cup- set aside

Cook your noodles (Fresh udon would only boil for a couple of minutes, whereas dried takes longer (Zok says 5-7 minutes and to add some olive oil to the water))

Now heat your wok on high, add about half your oil to coat (if you are going non-vegetarian you will now cook your chicken)*

Zok cooks his chicken to add in last- in a different walk (so one batch is completely vegetarian)

++Tip- If you are doubling this recipe, cook your chicken in batches, it should take about 5 minutes for each batch- cook and put aside, repeat.

If you are going veg- then start with just your oil, and add in the remaining garlic (the sliced garlic),  mushrooms, pepper (capsicum), and any other greens you choose and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes to soften up your veg.

Add in your noodles and stir-fry for one minute

Now, add your chicken or just your tofu

add spring onion, the rest of your oil and your soy-spice-mushroom stock mixture

Just stir fry until everything seems coated 

Voila! You are done.

 

Phad si-iew

During our recent road trip through North America, Zok seems to have gotten back into a habit of eating meat- often.  Either the trip or the fact that he had some dental work done which caused him to attempt ten days of 'soft' food.  A concept that did not want to or could not grasp.

My phad si-iew had tofu but no chicken.

Zok of course - had both chicken and tofu.

We left out the egg-but if you want to add egg, just cook it first-it should come out omelet style, and you can slice it and put it aside and just add it in at the end of your stir-frying

(This recipe is for about 2 people)

250 g or .5 lb of rice noodle thick ones which are about 2 cm or 3/4 inch

1 tbl. peanut oil

1 egg (optional)

250 g of chicken or beef (optional)

250 g (for us about half a block) of firm tofu

30 ml or 1 fl. oz of kecap manis

about a 2 tbl. of soy sauce

about a tbl. of fish sauce (this can always be switched out with any other veg. sauce to add flavor-mushroom being the most common)

150 g or 5 oz of bok-choy, gai larn (chinese broccoli), kale or leafy green of your choice

150 g or 5 oz of broccoli (I like both types in mine)

a dash of ground white pepper

Drain your noodles and set aside

If you are frying your tofu, cut it into desired shape, fry and set aside on something porous (paper towel, designated tea towel)

Heat your wok(s) over high heat, and add in your peanut oil reduce to medium, add your noodles and cook for a couple of minutes

combine all your sauces soy, fish, kecap manis (you can add water if you think the sauce is too thick, I prefer mine thicker)

Add your vegetables and white pepper

Lastly add in your tofu (and egg/meat) and stir fry it all for a couple of minutes

Serve up !

Dried or fresh: First soak them in a large bowl of boiled water (hot) completely covered so you can then separate the noodle strands. Zok likes to soak his for his entire prep. time so about 20 minutes to a .5 hour.

Zok used a second wok, and using the same sauce he cooked his chicken in a second wok, and then just added this into his portion.

Mee Goreng or Zok's version of Mee Goreng

1 brown onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

2 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped (or not* says Colleen)

2 cm aka 3/4 in. of fresh ginger grated

60 ml or 1/4 c. oil (Zok would mention here you want an oil that can take the high heat and not burn away so Sunflower is better than Peanut)

350g about 12 oz. of Hokkien noodles, gently pulled apart

A package of firm Tofu first fried then cut

4 spring onions

1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 tbls. kecap manis

1 tbls. soy sauce

1 tbls. tomato sauce

extra spring onions, to garnish 

Combine chopped onion, garlic, chillies, and ginger into a mortar and pestle (or use short bursts in a food processor)

pound until ingredients are paste-like (you can add a bit of oil if needed)

Set this aside.

In your wok use about 1 tbls. of oil  and stir fry your noodles until they are plump and warmed through. Place them in a covered bowl when done to keep them warm.

Add another tbls. of oil to your wok and stir-fry your paste mixture until golden.

Add your carrots, then your tofu

(Stir-frying all the while)

and then your kecap manis, soy and tomato sauces

Spoon the finished mixture over your noodles.

Notes:

You could at the tofu step substitute some sort of meat- you know- if you are in to that.

Tasty Tofu: An introduction to stir-frying and Tofu and of course Rice

I think the original recipe for this dish is in Sweden, where we are not.

 However, this recipe has evolved away from any true recipe, this is the dish Zok makes when we are short on time, or short on ingredients.

Because we use a rice cooker, the dish is especially quick.

I think originally, this is the recipe that made Zok start to actually want to eat tofu, hence the nickname of 'Tasty Tofu'.

For those who care there are some tips on Stir-frying at the bottom of this post.

Ingredients:

Firm tofu (amount depending on how many you are feeding)

Shiitake Mushrooms (Zok would say that only Shiitake mushrooms should be used due to the small amount of ingredients and the strong flavor of these mushrooms)

Garlic (again this is about your own taste)

Real Butter

Sauce:

30 ml Soy Sauce

30 ml Miran

30 ml Cooking Sake

 

Cut all ingredients into thin slices, trying for uniform sizes

First melt your butter to coat the bottom of your pan*

Quickly flash fry your garlic- until fragrant and put them aside (into a small dish)

Coat the pan with butter again and quickly do the same with your mushrooms and then put then aside

Repeat again with your tofu pieces, getting them golden-brown in color.

Then you can put all your ingredients together into the pan and add your sauce.

Essentially you are just reducing down the sauce so that it is thickened.

Dish out your rice and add your tofu, mushrooms, garlic tasty-goodness over the top.

We usually have a glass of cold sake with this meal.

*Disclaimer, Zok uses a heavy based, good heat conducting frying pan not a wok for this dish because it doesn't need much cooking as of course you could eat these ingredients raw.

Tips on Stir-frying

This dish is a bit of a introduction to stir-frying, as you can practice making your ingredients uniform, and having everything to hand to quickly add in.

These are the most important parts of mastering a good stir-fry.

Because everything is cooked quickly, a good, high, constant heat is important.

When using the wok, it is especially important to have everything you need nearby and ready to go.

Any oil (or butter) is good as long as they are not cold pressed.  

Having a little bit of water to hand is a good idea, you can sprinkle the edges of your wok so items don't stick because they are drying out.

Because your food is cooked simply and quickly there is a crisp caramelized taste.